Exeter Beekeepers

Below is an extract from Bee-Mail January 2010 - note how it was believed that the pest got into Australia.

RESEARCHERS in Australia say they have found a species of stingless bee that attacks invading pests such as small hive beetle (SHB) and mummifies them. Using a CT scanner to observe hive behaviour the team, headed by Dr Mark Greco, found that the Trigona carbonaria bees mob the interloper, biting at its legs and forcing it to adopt what the scientists call a ʻturtle posture, tucking in its heads and legs. Thus immobilised, the bees can mummify the beetle by coating it in resin, wax and mud. It is not known if this defensive behaviour is an old trick or was developed by the bees to deal with the relatively new threat (SHB is thought to have been introduced to Australia during the 2000 Olympics). But this phenomenon has also been noticed in honey bee colonies. As reported in BeeMail 20, American beekeeper Norris Childs of Philadelphia observed mummified beetles in his colonies. See his letter on page 5 of the digital edition of Bee Culture. It should be remembered, however, that SHB is still a significant threat, so don’t just rely on feisty bees to deal with the problem.